Flute/Guitar/Bass/Keyboards

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: My album, Dreams and Other Living Things, which I just signed a contract to be released, was an extremely fulfilling project. I produced, arranged and wrote all the songs on it, except two Hendrix songs. I sang and played guitars and keyboards in conjunction with a dream band: Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta and David Sancious. Other great people took part in the background vocals, engineering, mixing & mastering. It felt like the musical summation of everything I've done up to that point. Ready to make another one!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have 3 releases coming out this year. One is the album I mentioned. The band on that was Tony Levin on bass, Jerry Marotta on drums, David Sancious on keyboards and me on vocals, guitar and keyboards. I also have a European label releasing 2 of my movie soundtracks on vinyl and CD.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Each have their own pros and cons. Given an ideal circumstance, I'd record drums and bass on analog tape, then transfer it to a high end digital system, where parts can be moved & manipulated. I generally don't go for music that's too overly quantized & grid-like, as it loses its humanity. Unless, of course, it's Devo or certain kinds of Electronica. I'm a big fan of human feel, from those that have it!

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I promise to listen closely to what you'd like to achieve and use all of my skills to help you get there.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The rapturous feeling when every element, sonically & musically, comes together just right.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Q. When can I hire you again? A. I'll carve out a time and make it happen! Q. What was Frank Zappa like? A. Brilliant, and very kind to me, even when I was just a kid. Q. Do you want to play anything else on this? A. Sure, what do you hear?

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That someone can be really strong on only one instrument.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are the bit depth, frequency and tempo of your song? Are there any players you'd most like this to capture the flavor of? Do you know where in the song you want my parts to occur? Are there any songs/pieces you'd like me to listen to to get the flavor of what you're after?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Find someone who really gets what you want to achieve and has the skills & musical empathy to deliver it.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: A guitar, a keyboard, a laptop with Pro Tools & everything on it, a UAD interface and a flute.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: It was obvious since I was very little that I was gonna be a musician. I started playing guitar at about 7, piano at about 10, bass at 12 and flute at 14. I had bands since I was 10. Living in Rome, I started jamming with Jean-Luc Ponty when I was 14 and upon arriving back in the US at 16, I jammed with Frank Zappa, who I'd known since I was 13. Not long after, I was in a band with Ric Ocasek, Ben Orr and Greg Hawkes, later to become The Cars. I've been playing, performing & producing ever since. In 1986, I was Lou Reed's guitarist and then moved to Los Angeles, where I got my first film scoring job 2 weeks after arriving. I scored a bunch of feature films, along with some TV series and lots of commercials. In recent years I've been performing regularly in LA, playing on all kinds of sessions and releasing my own music.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: It has its roots in Rock 'n' Roll but comfortably extends outward to many other genres.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Paul McCartney. He's one of the greatest songwriters ever, his stuff is thrilling and he treats his band members beautifully.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Leave space in your arrangements and don't have too many instruments & voices occupying the same frequency range. Oh, and make sure the bass & drums sound fantastic.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Singer/songwriter, Rock, Funk, Soul, Blues, Jazz, Reggae, film score, Electronic and World.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Finding hooks and connective tissue that increase a song's impact and catchiness.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A lifetime of experience, both as a player and a composer. I've been fully immersed in a wide range of music since I was a kid, and started playing professionally at 14. I've learned from the many great artists I've been lucky to play with, as well as the countless influences I've listened to and absorbed. Every bit of that experience, knowledge and living goes into whatever I play now.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I confer with the client, getting a good feel for what they're looking for and then deliver it, by any means necessary ;)

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a fully loaded Pro Tools setup on Mac, with the UAD Apollo system as my interface. Outboard gear is both in and out of the box, including Lexicon, Neve, Joe Meek, FabFilter, Empirical Labs, Studer, Ocean Way & SSL. I have an enormous collection of custom samples of all kinds that I've collected for several decades, along with great virtual instruments, such as Omnisphere, Keyscape, Trillian, Falcon, BFD3 and orchestral libraries from East-West, Miroslav Vitous & others. I have a large collection of guitars of all sorts, other stringed instruments, flutes, alto flute, Brazilian, Indian and African indigenous woodwinds, basses and amps, including an early Matchless and a Magnatone Twilighter.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I have many musical & production inspirations, both living and dead, many of whom I've been fortunate to know. Among them are Peter Gabriel, Frank Zappa, Daniel Lanois, George Martin, Bob Clearmountain, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Thom Bell, Tom Dowd, Ray Charles, D'Angelo, Snarky Puppy, Jaco, John Coltrane, Derek Trucks, the Stones and Sly Stone.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: There's quite a range of work I do for my clients, anything from a single instrument on their song to full-on arranging and production of the entire piece. Most commonly, I'll play 1 or 2 instruments, remotely from my studio.